For several communities in India, menstruation is an excuse to treat women as `untouchables’ during those days, and they are denied the right to participate in social customs, family pujas, weddings and all sorts of religious ceremonies. Not only this is discriminating but also humiliating for the woman who is undergoing menstruation, which is a normal biological procedure.
“I had just turned eleven when I started having my periods. My grandma lived with us and she would object if I would serve her food or water during those days, making me feel like an untouchable,” rues 35-year-old Jagriti, software professional. “Even today when my periods are around any puja or festival, I

Hormones are your body’s chemical messengers. They travel in your bloodstream to tissues or organs. They work slowly, over time, and affect many different processes, including
• Growth and development
• Metabolism – how your body gets energy from the foods you eat
• Sexual function
• Reproduction
• Mood
The need
Hormonal profile is recommended in women if they experience any or all of these symptoms–
o Inability to conceive
o Skipping of periods without being pregnant.
o Irritability, bloating, headaches, breast swelling or mood swings in the week prior to menstruation.
o Erratic menstrual cycle
Hormones evaluated
A hormonal investigation evaluates the

“Osteoporosis is often referred to as silent disease because bone loss occurs without any symptoms,” says Dr Ambrish Mithal, Chairman and Head of Endocrinology at Medanta-the- Medicity. The first signs of osteoporosis is usually a fracture, which is the result of a weakened bone. Osteoporosis primarily affects the spinal vertebrae and bones of the hip and wrist, causing them to shrink.
What happens to your bones in osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a condition in which your bones become fragile and brittle; the density and quality of the bones is reduced; and this in turn predisposes one to fractures. As the bones become thinner and more porous, this risk increases- a minor bump,

Nature has been partial in distributing pain between men and women. Life for us goes in a quagmire of pain and there are many days in a month that we spend in the fog of pain. Beginning from lousy menstrual cramps that holds us captive right from teenage years–not to forget the premenstrual discomfort preceeding it, to the pangs of childbirth, intercourse that may become painful, pain has an inkling to find us in one way or other. Other than gender specific pain, we are more vulnerable to backaches—classic hallmark of osteoporosis (after menopause) , degenerative joint diseases, osteoarthritis and migrane favours us three times more than men. In addition we experience more nausea,

Menopause is a phase of transition in women. Though, menopause happens when periods stop altogether, this doesn’t happen overnight. Before menopause, there is an uncomfortable period of transition, called perimenopause, which results in such symptoms: hot flashes, vaginal dryness, joint pains, fatigue, memory loss, depression and anxiety. You can tide over these symptoms with a little help from your kitchen and herbal cures. Keep reading to know more on this.
Ayurveda recommends that women experiencing menopause should eat bitter foods, which include dark leafy greens. Astringent foods are also good. These foods are beans, soybeans, potatoes, cabbages and poultry foods. The

Women experience abnormal uterine bleeding during their reproductive years. Many suffer in silence, as they do not realise that they are having abnormal menstrual flow.
When normal becomes abnormal
If you are changing pads or tampons more often than every one or two hours, or having a period that lasts over seven days, it is not normal.
Clots in menstruation bother many women. Blood clots are normal.
Causes
Usually adolescents and women approaching menopause experience abnormal uterine bleeding owing to hormonal imbalance.
Another common cause of abnormal uterine bleeding is fibroid tumors. Other causes–
Cervical or endometrial polyps
LupusPelvic inflammatory disease

Menopause is a natural biological process. Although its onset brings in hormonal upheavals, physical changes and emotional changes, it is far removed from end of youth or sexuality of women.
Menopause is the cessation of the monthly female menstrual cycle. Women who have not had a menstrual period for a year are considered post menopausal. Women in late forties or early fifties experience menopause. Women who have gone through menopause are no longer fertile.
The journey to menopause begins for women long before cessation of their menstrual cycle. Menopause begins naturally when your ovaries start making less of estrogen and progesterone. During reproductive years these hormones regulate

For many women, PMS is a nightmare come true. For the uninitiated, Pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) is a disorder that affects many women around one to two weeks before menstruation begins. During that period a woman feels grouchy, bloated, goes on eating binges, craves for chocolates and suffers a constant irritation with the world in general. This adversely affects the life of women suffering from it and those around her – spouse, children, co-workers, and friends. In fact, severe PMS responses are known to challenge health, change normal routine and impact lifestyle.
While such mood changes have been described at the time of the ancient Greeks, it was Katharina Dalton, a physician